


He's My Brother

by ENC95



Category: 12 Monkeys (TV)
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Brothers, F/M, Family, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Post-Apocalypse, Teenagers, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-03-13 13:46:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3383870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ENC95/pseuds/ENC95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Okay so I love the new show 12 Monkeys on Syfy. This is the story of how Cole and Ramse met and how they survived together for so long that they call each other Brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting 2020

**Author's Note:**

> I love comment if you have question or suggestion say so.

I’m camping outside of some town I don’t know the name of it, I’m somewhere south of Philly I know that much. Looking into the fire I see the flame lick into the air breathing out my breath is a puff of smoke. Keeping my hand on my gun, I scan the tree line I was sure that someone is following me so I don’t eat the little bit of food I have with me.

There wasn’t much that anyone would steal from me aside from my gun and the twelve bullets I had with me. My clothes are made of patches at this point, my boots more duct tape than rubber. Maybe my sleeping bag and the can of spinach was that worth killing for? The answer is yes I’d seen people kill for less. Finally a twig snaps and I turn my gun pointed at a boy.

“Don’t shoot,” He holds his hands up. “I’m not here to take anything I’m just very cold.” True enough his normal olive toned skin is pale, his lips are turning blue, his head is covered with a dirty black toboggan cap. The boy has a knife on his belt and a beat-up backpack. Other than that I don’t see any other weapons or hear any other people.

“Okay,” I nod my head still holding my gun as the boy rushes to the fire holding out is shaking hands.

“You can sit,” I tell him.

He looks grateful to get off his feet “Thanks man.”

If he was going to attack he would have done it already “It’s no problem.” Putting the safety back on my gun I sit next to him. “I’m Cole.”

“Ramse,” He says looking at me then back at the fire.  “Are you alone?”

“Yeah, my Mom got sick in the beginning and my Dad was shot about a year ago.” I think it’s been a year it was winter when he died and now its fall again going into winter. After my Mom died we didn’t really measure time it more like watching seasons pass.

“My Moms dead too,” He mutters holding his stomach.

Seeing him up close I notice that he’s very thin worse than me “When was the last time you ate man?”

He shakes his head “I’m fine just…it’s been a day or two.”

“Or four?” I ask him digging into my own beat-up bag I ate yesterday and I could find more food tomorrow. There was a town I hadn’t looked there yet.

“You don’t need to give me your food,” His voice wobbles.

I really shouldn’t I can my father telling me that I had to be tough he was always a hard ass. My mom would find a way to give it to him in way that’s fair “I’ll play you for it.”

“What?”

His eyes follow the can as I put it between us “Rock, paper, scissors winner gets the whole thing.”

“Deal.” That didn’t take must we turn to face each other

“Ready” I ask.

He nods “Go.”

I play paper and he puts scissors “You win.”

“Thanks,” He says taking the can prying it open with knife then putting it near the fire to warm.

We each sit staring at the flames the smell of warm food making my mouth water, Ramse stomach is making loud noises. He’s embarrassed by them I don’t say anything I been hungry for years now. “How long you never did tell me?”

Using a stick to move the steaming can off the fire and cool he doesn’t look at me but does say in a hoarse voice “Five days.”

“My record is six days,” I say handing him the only spoon I have.

“Mmmmmm,” He says taking his first bite. “After the fourth day you don’t really feel it.”

“I know,” I agree breaking a stick to throw on the fire. “But you think about it all the time.”

Ramse tries to take it slow but the can is gone sooner than either of us wants “You keep these?”

“No toss it.”

“How old are you man,” He asks looking into the fire.

“Ten you?”

He smirks “Thirteen.”

I should tell him to go he could still kill me in my sleep “You have a camp somewhere.”

“No.”

“You want to stay here tonight?”

“You aren’t going to slit my throat while I’m sleeping?” He ask in a matter of fact tone that my mouth hangs open.

“No,” I recover. “I mean I won’t if you won’t. There’s a town about a mile from here I was going to look for supplies there.”

“I saw the signs too,” He looks at my feet. “Nice boots.”

I smile for the first time in a long time “Yeah very fashionable.”

He leans in “Wow you have teeth very nice.”

Ramse is sleeping next to the fire we talked for another hour before he started to nod off once he was sleep there was no waking him. I stayed up feeding the fire, Ramse said he would help me look for food and shoes in town if I looked for a coat. My duct tape boot are too small and too worn out for wearing. And food it was hard enough find now that most place have been picked cleaned. Now it was hander now I had to hunt most days I could catch a squirrel, my Dad taught me. Now it was getting colder little stuff like that would be hiding maybe we could go south. 

I like the idea of having a partner, having someone to watch my back and I would watch him too. Back when I was traveling with my Dad we’d seen people alone talking to themselves, untrusting of anyone else. I was getting that way this boy next to me wasn’t the first person I’d seen. He is the first one I talked to there was van that stopped when I was walking on the highway a couple of weeks ago. There was man and a woman they offered to give me a ride but I said no. Bullshitting that I was going to the next town to look for my aunt. Maybe he would kill me tomorrow in town or maybe he's just wants to have a partner too to not be so lonely. Laying down whatever happens tomorrow whether I die or not is up to me.


	2. Scavenging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bathroom is empty nothing but dust and mold. It’s been awhile since I looked in a mirror. Turing around I use my sleeve to wipe off the dust getting a good at see myself “You look bad.” The last time I saw myself I looked like a kid. Now I was different my face was thin and not from my lack of food. I touch my skin I feels rough. One day soon I might wake-up with facial hair. If I live that long, whenever we found alcohol my Dad would drink till he couldn't walk. He would always say that I was lucky that I didn't remember what the world was before this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like comments if you have an idea for the next chapter tell me.

 “What kind of people do you think lived here?” Ramse asks holding up the framed picture. There a family two parents, both woman one is African American she her arms around a woman with red hair and sitting in front of them are two kids one a girl with coffee colored skin and the other is darker toned boy they look like dark skinned woman.

“People,” I answer looking thought the closet. “People who are gone.”

He let out a short huff “You’re very cold you know that?”

“No I’m not I just try not think about it.” How this seemingly happy family might be dead or in some refugee camp. I keep looking in the closet while Ramse is on watch. This house was in almost perfect shape no one had been here for a long time, you can tell by the thick layer of dust.

“I get that.”

Since the boy in the picture is close to my age I think I might “Yes!”

“You find something,” Ramse says as I sink to the floor kick off my old boots.

Pulling the leather over my feet “Maybe.” To big, that’s better than being to little, looking around I see a yellow newspaper. “Grab that for me?

He cross the room balling up the paper “Too big?”

“Yeah,” I shove balled up paper into the front of the shoe. Standing up I feel myself smile “These are great.”

“Very nice can we look for food now?”

“Sure I’ll stay here, you check out the place next door.”

He hold his hand “Sound good to me.”

After he leaves I go the stairs I had a list food, socks, anything warm my hand the gun I walk slowly and quietly. This is the hardest part of any search checking upstairs that’s why I do it first. My Dad and I use to do this together and I’m sure that Ramse would have done it. If I asked but I don’t trust him yet, sure the guy was a talker and he didn't kill me in my sleep but trust is earned.

Once I’m on the second floor I count four doors, two have names on them _Jackson_ and _Frankie_ , the other one is a bathroom and the last one is the parents room. I open the boy’s door first the room is messy clothes on the floor draws still open. They left in a hurry whenever that was. I don’t find much that I can use a shirt and a pair of red socks. The girls room is somewhat better I find a green poncho.

The bathroom is empty nothing but dust and mold. It’s been awhile since I looked in a mirror. Turing around I use my sleeve to wipe off the dust getting a good at see myself “You look bad.” The last time I saw myself I looked like a kid. Now I was different my face was thin and not from my lack of food. I touch my skin I feels rough. One day soon I might wake-up with facial hair. If I live that long, whenever we found alcohol my Dad would drink till he couldn't walk. He would always say that I was lucky that I didn't remember what the world was before this.

I do remember some of it I was almost seven everyone started to get sick. Sometimes it’s just images the house where I lived. Or sitting on a couch watching TV the show that I laughed. Three meals a day and not being hungry all the time. Electric lights and hot water I use to hate getting a bath saying that I wasn't dirty. My Mom I could see her face in memories she had reddish brown hair and her scent she always smelled like peaches. Now I was dirty all the time a hot bath or even a bat of soap would be wonderful and hungry, the hollow feeling took over my every thought. And, the world smells like death and smoke.

In the parents room I find the more of the same empty dressers nothing useful. Just more pictures of the family that once lived here. Looking at a photo I try not to think about how the people here are probably dead before everything went dark people on TV said one in every five people would die. That the world population would go down to less than 1 billion. This family, my parents everyone who lived in these houses they’re all dead now. I was alive I don’t know what’s so special that about that means I get to live.

Putting the photo back on the little table before I close the door I say “I’m sorry you all had to die.”

In the kitchen is better, don’t open the refrigerator that is worse than smelling a dead body. Opening the cabinets I almost drop my bag “Holy shit!” Filling my bag till it’s about to bust. Cans of vegetables, cans of fruit, cans of soup, this going to be great enough to last a few days made be longer if we keep our camp near here. By now I know that I want to stay with Ramse.

Strong hands push me to the side of the house a hand covering my mouth before I can even reach for my gun but realize that it’s Rams. He found his coat but doesn't look to happy about it. Holding a figure to his lips then removes his hand from my mouth.

“What the hell man?” I say in an angry whisper

“People,” He looks around. “Adults with bigger guns how many bullets do you have?”

Swallowing my fear “Not enough.”

He nods “Let’s get back to camp before they find us.”

*********************************************************************

We run back to camp I had let the fire die embers where that was left of the fire “Cole what’s the plan.”

“You’re the older one.”

He shrugs “That doesn't mean I have a plan.”

“Are they following us?” I say folding the sleeping bag no way I lift it all

“No clue,” His eyes scan the trees adults in the beginning would take care of you but now they'll shoot you if you have something they want.

“Open your bag.”

He does without hesitation “You have a plan.”

“I have a half plan,” I say putting some of the food in his bag.

“Um what’s this for?”

Now that I can carry the bag I pull it onto my back “In case we get separated you should have some food.” In truth I did give him more than I should but he’s gone longer than me.

He nods “They came from the East.”

Standing up I look at the sun “Then we follow the sun.”

“Sounds good to me,” Ramse says.

“So, we’re staying together?”

“Yeah kid we’re staying together.”

I laugh dryly “I’m not a kid my name is Cole.”

“You’re going to be a kid till you start to grow whiskers.” He say walking west with a strange little smile on his face.

“You don’t have a bread,” I say picking up my pace to match his.

“I shave.”


	3. Camping in a Train Car

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “That’s good,” I lick my figures.  
> “You’re gross.”  
>  Since I knew what he did when I was out hunter “Okay Mr. Kusty socks.”  
> His face turns redder then blood “You um…you know about that.”  
> “I’m a light sleeper.”  
> He looks at the fire “Do you?”  
> “No it’s gross and it smells.”   
> “Wait a few years kid.” Opening up his pack he digs deep into it. “Here.”

Ramse and I have been traveling for a couple weeks now neither us really having any idea where we’re going. South seems to be the plan, its warmer down south or so we hope. We’ve been following train tracks for a two day’s now, looking for food and water it’s been really dry lately.

“It’s going to snow.” Ramse says looking up at the sky. The cloud cover has been threatening to open up and cover us with frozen rain.

Slowly I breath out my breath is a puff of smoke “Its winter that’s what happens in winter.”

“Is that dry humor a genetic thing or are you just that funny.”

Smiling I look up at him, he taller than me “I’m just that funny.”

“Seriously man where are going to camp tonight?”

That was a good question but some good questions have no answers “We could try to find a train car.”

“So, who taught you how to do survive?”

“My Dad taught me to shoot, to hunt but everything else we picked up along the way.”

He nods “How’d he die.”

“Badly,” I say rounding the connor. “I found our place.”

It’s a train car old spray painted with symbols and messages not the prettiest place but it’s better than out here.

Handing over the gun “You check it out?”

“What? Why me?”

“You’re older and I can run faster if you get pinned down.”

Ramse takes the gun pulling the latch opening the door entering with my gun “No, people no food.”

“Okay,” Listening I can’t hear anyone else walking just birds. I trade my gun for my pack. “You set up camp I’m going to try to find some food.”

“You want me to come with?”

“No, they’ll need a fire tonight for sure your better at that then me.”

“Here,” He holds out both our canteens. “We need water too.”

Taking the metal bottles “I’ll keep a look out.”

Ramse is better at making fire he’ll tend it making sure it will burn all night while I was more willing to kill the dead thing that we’d eat. If we found food, we’re getting low on food again. The stuff we found before is long gone but with another person someone to watch your back it’s not so bad.

I don’t find much in the way of food but there is a creek a flock of birds lands there right in the middle of the freezing water. Staying I wait for them to come closer to the shore where I can shoot one of them. They must know that because they stay right in the middle of the freezing water.

By the time I get back there is a fire going I smell the smoke, we found this old pot it was great for making a fire. Looking around the tiny space I don’t see him my stuff is still here, and there is pile of firewood. There’s no blood no other tracks besides ours, no one took him he just left. That makes me feel sad sinking to the floor I want to cry.

“Cole?”

 “Ramse?” I look out the train car. “Where the hell where you?”

He holds up a goose “Getting dinner.” I start laughing, the kind of laugh that comes from deep in my stomach.

“You okay man?”

“I thought you left,” I say as he hands me the dead bird.

He smiles climbing into the car “No a flock of these landed so I took stick it scared the hell out them this one took off but fell just inside the tree line.”

This is great we have food and water and we’re together “Yeah, I saw the rest of the flock, there’s a creek quarter mile away.”

“Good I’m thirsty man.”

Handing him the canteen I look at the bird “This is big we can’t eat it all in one night.”

  Huge smile cross his face “I know but guess who gets to pluck it?”

Plucking the bird is just fine with me if it mean I get to eat “What the best thing you ever ate?”

“Pizza,” Ramse says it without thinking.

I think I’ve eaten that before “That’s round stuff right.”

“You poor child.”

I throw the bloody feathers at him “Big dummy.” That’s what I hate the most is people talking about how great it was before all this. They talked about great weapons and huge army’s, about doctor and hospitals, how a person could go around the whole in just a few days. They all make it seem like it was great place. But how great could it have been if it only took three years for it all to fall apart. I remember enough to know that it wasn’t perfect the food was better.

 “That’s good,” I lick my figures.

“You’re gross.”

 Since I knew what he did when I was out hunter “Okay Mr. Kusty socks.”

His face turns redder then blood “You um…you know about that.”

“I’m a light sleeper.”

He looks at the fire “Do you?”

“No it’s gross and it smells.”

“Wait a few years kid.” Opening up his pack he digs deep into it. “Here.”

It’s a magazine “So, this is what woman looked like before.” They’re very clean looking and very beautiful.

***********************************************************************

The next morning I wake-up and its quiet opening the door I see the white for miles around. It covers the trees and ground even the sky is washed in gray hiding the sun.

Closing the door again I look at Ramse the guy could sleep through a hurricane “Ramse its morning.”

“Do you ever sleep?” He asking rolling over his eyes still closed not wanting to wake-up.

“It snowed last night,” I blowing on the embers of our fire waking it up too. It’s easier than Ramse just add a few sticks and the heat starts spreading.

Ramse is not a very active person in the morning “Great.” He doesn’t sound very concerned about it. Not great it’s easier to track a person when it snows not to mention how much fun it is walking in snow. It’s only a few inches so we shouldn’t have a problem walking “We should pack the rest of the bird in it.”

“Pack it how?”

Digging into my bag I pull out a shirt it was my Dad’s I kept it because it was his for no real reason. Guess I had one now I take my knife and start to cut it “We’ll put the meat in here cover it with snow.”

Rubing his eyes “And when the snow melts in our back-packs?”

Going back into my bag I should have some left “We wrap it all this.”

“Duct tape.”

“You can use this stuff for practically anything.”

He laughs “My Mom she use to put that on our pipes when they dripped.”

“What was her name?”

“Roberta what about your Mom?”

Oh man that one is tough I remember her face and my Dad he called her something…I know I know it. “Ummm. It started with an _S_ not Sarah…”

“Cole,” His voice sounds far away. “Cole.”

“Hold on.” I snap at him getting angry “It was…I know it I do.”

“It’s all good I was just asking.”

Shaking my head I know her name “She had blond hair and green eyes her name was…Su…Susan.”

“Yeah,” His face is a mix of fear and pity. “You don’t remember her well.”

I turn my eyes back to the shirt “I do.” My voice sounds angry and I shouldn’t be directing it at him.

“Cole.”

“I can remember her face,” I say.

“How…What did she look like?”

She looked “Her hair was blond but not yellow it was more like my hair only lighter. And, she had these wide eyes that where green like an emerald, my Dad said they looked like emeralds.” My breath is shaking now like I’m about to cry but I keep talking “Her voice was warm too I use to be able to remember it but it’s gone now.”

His hand is no my shoulder “She sounds very pretty.”

“She was…” Pushing the thoughts of her being dead out of my head I hold up the shreds of shirt. “We should get going.”

“Sure.”


	4. Old Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Stay behind me,” He says his hand resting on his knife my own hand going to my knife.   
> “Hello?” Hearing another human it’s startling Ramse stands in front of me as the sound of heavy footsteps coming closer to us.   
> Seeing him standing tall at the end of the hallway a flashlight pointing at us “Hello.” He’s big not just tall but fat too that means he’s either got food or steals it form other people.  
> He lowers light as he comes toward us “Who are you?” Ramse ask as I stay quiet for once.   
> “My name is Ray and who are you.” His voice is light and giddy it sends my stomach into chaos.   
> “Ramse.”  
> He notice me and gets this huge smile on his face “And who is this.”  
> “Cole,” He says for me. “My friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This the Apocalypse people guys do bad things because they can.

“Come we need to find a place to hunker down,” Ramse says pulling me along the road. This storm was bad we need a place with four walls and roof before we freeze or I blow away. Its mid-winter now three months since we first met we’re still together still trying to go south.

“Ramse I can’t the wind is knocking me down.” Ramse was in front blocking what he could but where both thin.

He takes my arm “Keep going there’s a house just up the road.”

I get pulled to the house and Ramse pushes the door in I yell because wind is picking up “Wait!”

Turning to face me yelling back “What’s wrong.”

“We don’t know what’s inside.”

“We’ll die if we stay out here,” He says pulling me into the house then pushing the door shut there is a loud thud.

There is someone here I smell smoke from a fire, the walls are clean no dust or even blood. The floor is clean to in fact its shinny “Ramse I don’t like this place.” I whisper to him sounding like a little kid. Now I wish I had bullets for my gun I used the last one two days ago.

“Stay behind me,” He says his hand resting on his knife my own hand going to my knife.

“Hello?” Hearing another human it’s startling Ramse stands in front of me as the sound of heavy footsteps coming closer to us.

Seeing him standing tall at the end of the hallway a flashlight pointing at us “Hello.” He’s big not just tall but fat too that means he’s either got food or steals it form other people.

He lowers light as he comes toward us “Who are you?” Ramse ask as I stay quiet for once.

“My name is Ray and who are you.” His voice is light and giddy it sends my stomach into chaos.

“Ramse.”

He notice me and gets this huge smile on his face “And who is this.”

“Cole,” He says for me. “My friend.”

“You two should stay the night the storms getting bad out there,” Ray still has smile.

Ramse turns to me “See nothing to worry about.”

I whisper to him “No, he’s creepy.”

“He just an old man all old people are that.”

“I have food if you’re hungry.”

This is bad “No one gives food for free.”

“You gave me food now we’ll stay till the storm passes okay?”

“Okay.”

***********************************************************************

The bad feeling stay’s with me it doesn’t help that Ray keeps looking at me while we eat. Ramse doesn’t see it he eats then goes right to sleep while I stay awake looking at the fire feeling his eye on my back. I had stayed away from the old man there was just something about his face. It was wrinkled and old but the eyes, my Dad told me that people speak with their eyes. These eyes the cold gray orbs staring into my back are screaming at me they are saying  _I’m starving._

“How old are you son?”

I’m not your son “Ten…eleven I guess I was born February 17th 2010.”

“Its December 30th now I guess you boy’s missed Christmas.”

He stands and my hand goes to my knife he just laughs “You’re a cautious one. I think I have something that will make you feel more relaxed.”

That’s it as soon as he leave I cross the room shaking Ramse “Wake-up, whake-up, we have to go.”

He groans “Mo a vay.”

My Dad when he would drink he would pass-out just like this and talk in slurs too Ray gave him something. “Shit! Ramse wake-up now this is guy is bad we need to leave.”

“You’re a clever boy,” He says from the door holding a green bottle.

Taking out my knife I hold in front of both of us “You leave us alone.”

His bulking frame comes toward me slowly “Now is that any way to treat your host. I’ve been so nice to you. Now it’s your turn to be nice to me.” By now he’s right in front of me his eyes burning like predator.

I shallow my Dad warned me about guys like him “What…what do you want.”

“Well,” He says opening the bottle. “I want you.”

I drop the knife holding my stomach I think I might be sick “And Ramse?”

Ray sighs taking a long drink “Your friend here well he’s a little too old for me so I gave him something to help him sleep. If you’re nice to me I’ll you both go I promise.”

“Here this will help you.” He bends down getting to eye level the only thing that divides us is Ramses body. Hold out the bottle to me “Trust me one or two sips and you’ll feel very friendly.”

“You’ve done this before?”

“I have but that doesn’t make you any less special to me.”

Taking the bottle I smell it alcohol and he has lots of food “You’re lying.”

Now he’s mad still on my level “Drink it boy or it will be worse.”

Holding the neck of the bottle slam against the side of his face the glass breaks and Ray falls backward. Taking my knife I run out of the room up the stairs I need to hide. I go into the first room I see. Its dark but I feel my way to a closest opening the door carefully I go in then close the door as softly as my trembling hands will let me.

“WHERE ARE YOU BOY?” His loud voice booms as his heavy feet stump up the stairs.

Pressing myself into the back wall I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them. Each breath comes in fast and loud he’s must hear me. I press my hand to my mouth causing me to breathe through my nose.

The sound of the door splintering into wood chips make me yelp but since my hand is covering my mouth there is no sound. He stumps around the room “I KNOW YOU’RE HERE BOY!”

From under the door I see the artificial light of his flashlight I never prayed before I thought God was story a myth but right now I’m praying really hard. I don’t want to die now and I don’t like this. He’ll kill me now I know it. There is another loud thud and then quite for what feels like hours.

The door opens, the light shines on my shaking body and I hear “Cole?”

“Ramse!”

He pulls out trying to stand me up but I can’t falling to my knees he sits with me his hand hold my arms “Yeah kid it’s me.”

“Where,” I look around wildly before my eyes settle on the mountain of a man. In the dim light I see a thin stream of blood coming out of his back. “You.”

“I had too.”

My Dad wasn’t the hugging the type but I remember my Mom doing it I wrap my arms around him “Thank you.”

He sighs in relief “It’s what best friends do they look out for each other.”


	5. How we Survive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ramse plan was for him to carry most of the ammo and food on a sled we found in the garage. While being the weaker person held onto our clothes and other objects like batteries and our flashlights in the big bag. We also had carried our little packs with a little bit of everything we might need.   
> “What happens when we get farther south when there is no snow?” I ask as we walk down the road the fresh snow crunching as we go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love comments you should write me one

“We have to stay here,” Ramse says it bitterly but with the snow this falling we can’t leave.  

“I know.”

We’re back in the living room the fire radiating heat but I can’t stop shaking “You should get some sleep.”

I should but there is no way that I will be sleeping tonight every crackle of the fire or gust of wind sounds ten times as loud. Even if I was a heavy sleeper tonight just isn’t the night. I pull my legs into my body. Ramse is still drugged his eyes seem to be closing without him knowing, he’s spread out on the couch his body going limp again.

“Really you should sleep,” I say.

Five minutes later he’s snoring I pull a blanket over him “Thanks Ma.”

Leaving him alone I explore the house Ray was here alone even so I still have my knife and the flashlight. I start in the kitchen it like the rest of the house is spotless, not as full of food as I thought but still more than enough to keep us fed. It was a rule that we ate in the mornings and at night. During the day we’re scavenging and traveling. That’s how we survive by moving.

Moving back up the stairs I check the first room “Holy shit.” This room is full of guns all neatly laid out. Next to each gun has next to ammo, shining the light on the cold steel weapons. This weapon room also has knives, archery weapons even what look like grenades. In the next room there is clothes just like the first room it’s all clean folded up neatly in piles. There clothes that are my size and clothes that are for an adult. I try not think about all the boys and their brothers or father who use to own these weapons.

Three years Ray survived by staying put by having a clean place, safe looking it appealed to people. If people came here with what he wanted then it would be like today other stronger person drugged while the weaker one, the one he wants is left alone with no other choice but to do what he wanted.

Going to the bathroom again it’s all clean after all that’s happen to day I feel dirty in this house don’t remember clean house. The house I lived in was never this clean. Where I lived I remember clean clothes in baskets waiting to be folded. Or dishes in the sink my parents who that together that is a very clear memory. They would just talk to each other while Mom washed and Dad rinsed. I would be playing with my toys on the kitchen table I miss them.

I avoid the room with the dead body, I had seen dead body’s before I saw my Mom’s body. She was in the hospital laying on the bed her skin was pale with a thin sheet of sweat still on it. Then on the road I saw body’s hanging in trees or rotting bodies in house were people died of the fever. Some people just couldn’t handle what the world was so they left it. I asked my Dad about it he said that was their choice and I had no right to judge them for it.

Back in the living room I check on Ramse who is dead to the world now and adding logs to the fire letting it talk to me. I don’t talk much Ramse says it all the time you never talk. I use to talk all time to my Mom, my Dad anyone really. After my mother died my father just shut down we stayed in our house but I didn’t talk because even at five I knew that world was changing I had to change to.

***********************************************************************

“Cole?” Ramses’ voice is full of emotions concern, maybe even a little fear.

“I’m here.”

He sits up slowly groaning “I feel like shit.”

“You like shit.”

“Yeah take a look in a mirror pal.”

We laugh dryly but I have to ask “What are we going to do about the body.” I had seen dead body’s before. Everyone see them this body was different

“Leave it,” He says. “We take everything we can carry and leave this place and we never come back.”

That sounds good to me “We aren’t the first people he’s done this too.” I say helping him to his feet.

Ramse nods “Yeah but we’re the last ones.”

“You said we’re friends,” I sling my backpack on.

With the drugs still in his system I end-up helping him up the stairs “How many people do you think there where?”

Opening the door to the gun room I answer “A whole hell of a lot.”

“You…When did you?”

“I told you I didn’t sleep.”

His eyes are wide “There is no way in hell we can carry all this.”

Of course he is right but we take what we can “This is great.” I say adding bullets for my own gun to my backpack.

“We could use these,” He says holding on up a rife.

“You know how to use that thing?”

He holds up a box of bullets “Do you?”

“My Dad could I know how to hold it.”

“That’s good enough for me.”

“Why is it all so clean?” I ask looking at thick sweater its black good quality too barely used.

Ramse is taking socks stuffing them into large military type of duffle bag “It’s just how some people are. Here,” He toss a bag just like his to me “Fill up.”

“I can’t carry as much as you.”

“We’ll make it work.”

Taking it all to the kitchen we spread it out on the table “How are we going to make it work?”

He picks-up a box of cereal the sugary kind that use to eat “First we eat.”

***********************************************************************

Ramse plan was for him to carry most of the ammo and food on a sled we found in the garage. While being the weaker person held onto our clothes and other objects like batteries and our flashlights in the big bag. We also had carried our little packs with a little bit of everything we might need.

“What happens when we get farther south when there is no snow?” I ask as we walk down the road the fresh snow crunching as we go.

“We aren’t going south.” He says his breath coming out of his month like smoke.

That’s news to me I stop “What do you mean?” I was hoping we could go all the way to Florida. It was to me a place that was always warm and sunny where we could live eating fish and where I could wake-up every morning looking at the ocean.

“It’s too far,” He says pulling the sled. “We need to find a place and stay there for the whole winter. Then in the spring we can try to go down south.”

“I don’t know about the last place was…And we don’t have enough food for the whole season.”

He shakes his head “We need to find people there must be good people somewhere and we can hunt.”

Good people? I wasn’t sure what made a person good anymore, Ramse is good because he just is. My Dad kept me alive long enough for me to learn how to survive but when he drink he wasn’t nicest man.

“I’m a good person?”

“Of course you are,” He says it automatically.

We walk in the snow not talking mostly because of the weight on our shoulders “I’m I good person?”

“You saved my life so yeah to me you’re good.”

He sighs “What if I die and go to hell?”

“I think this is hell,” I tell him adjusting my pack. When I was little I had heard the stories about hell. Where all the people went when they died. Maybe we’re already dead and this the world we got. Maybe all the good people died and we the people left are the bad ones.


	6. A Few Good Guys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They laugh as I study them there are four of them one of them with red hair is skinning the animal. Ryan his name is Ryan empty’s the animal of its organs the Major speaks again but my eyes are on the liver. If they leave that then Ramse and I will have something to eat finally.   
> “You hear me son.”  
> My eyes snap back to him “Sorry.”  
> “Where’s your camp.”  
> I can’t tell him “Far.”  
> One of the man a very tall very muscular man laughs “You are a bad lair, kid.”

It’s late February still cold we’re still traveling together but now we’re starving, my birthday is soon or it already pasted. Eleven years on Earth I was still alive barely but I’m breathing. That has to count for something I lived this long longer then I thought I would. We were in a trailer park full of half burnt trailers somewhere south of Philly. There is a small fire burning but the little bit of heat it gives off is nothing as the cold winds whip in through the holes in the roof. This was the best one we could find.

Ramse is sick with a heavy cough I’ve been trying to take care of him but it’s just so hard. Breaking apart the chairs I add them to the fire trying bring just a little heat into the room. By now I knew that we’d never make to Florida we’d die right here.

“Cole?” His voice is horse each word is raw. “I’m thirsty.”

This is what’s keeping me from laying down to die “I’ll get you some water.”

We had plenty of melted snow to drink but our food is gone we’d made it last god did we try. But it was so cold when we found this place at the beginning of the mouth we thought it was just for the night. Then a snow storm dumping snow on us and then Ramse got sick right after. He’d been coughing for three day’s now.

“We’re going to die aren’t we?” He ask his breathing labored.

Bringing the metal cup to his lips I lie “No.” I pull a blanket over him, not that it will help much. “You’re going to be fine. We did make it all this time too just die.”

“You should leave me.”

I take a drink of water just to fill my stomach “You didn’t leave me.”

“That cause you’re like the annoying little,” He pause to cough. “Annoying little brother I never had.”

Willing myself to not cry I say “What kind of brother would I be if I left you here?”

He smiles closing his eyes “The smart brother.”

“Ramse!” No, I can’t do this alone not now I start to shake him.

His eyes open briefly “I’m tired, brother.”

This time I don’t try to stop him mostly because of what my Father told me that it is a person’s choice weather to live or die. But, I have a choice too and won’t stay here to watch him die. Taking my gun I leave the trailer to try and find something to eat if I could get some real food in our bodies we might survive the day. There isn’t much here just cold winds blowing.

I see tracks it’s a long shot but I follow them if we don’t eat today we’ll die ton whether we stave or freeze. ***********************************************************************

I have a deer in my sights I get ready to shoot my figure is on the trigger when I hear the bullet ring through the air. The shot is perfect right in the neck it runs right toward me falling at my feet. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the thought that hacking a piece of meat didn’t cross my mind. But, whoever shot this deer is good better than me and I should go before that person finds me. Turning around I come face to face with a soldier he has his gun pointed at me.

“Hey kid.” He doesn’t take his hand off his gun, the gun that’s pointed at my head. I keep my hands on my gun too. We stay like that till the rest of his friends find us.

“Ryan,” His eyes go behind me.

“Drop the gun kid.” One of them says as the sound of four safety switches being clicked off fill my ears.

Turning around I keep my finger on the trigger four solider in green army clothes with heavy coats are putting guns at me.  “You have what you came for just leave me alone I’ll you guys alone.”

The man laughs behind me “He’s harmless boys.”

They laugh holstering their guns the leader a tall man with gray hair speaks “You’re a brave little kid.”

“I’m not a kid.”

“Ryan go skin that animal.”

The tall man holds out his hand “Major William Burns.”

Putting my gun away I hold out my hand “Cole.”

“You look very hungry Cole.”

The soldiers have guns and knives, they could kill me if they wanted my gun wouldn’t help “I can find my own food.”

They laugh as I study them there are four of them one of them with red hair is skinning the animal. Ryan his name is Ryan empty’s the animal of its organs the Major speaks again but my eyes are on the liver. If they leave that then Ramse and I will have something to eat finally.

“You hear me son.”

My eyes snap back to him “Sorry.”

“Where’s your camp.”

I can’t tell him “Far.”

One of the man a very tall very muscular man laughs “You are a bad lair, kid.”

“Forgive Corporal Ericson he’s not the friendly one of the group.”

Biting my lip “I don’t want any trouble just let me go back to my camp please?”

“Who’s at your camp?” The mountain of Muscle asks me.

“No one.” They’d kill Ramse I know they will he’s too sick to move and I’m so weak I couldn’t fight back.

Major Burns puts his hand on my shoulders the weak things “Son, don’t lie to me.”

I look at the ground “My brother Ramse and I about a mile from here but we don’t have anything I swear it.”

Major Burns’ slaps my shoulder he does is lightly but I rock back anyway “There was that so hard to say.”

Nodding I look at the soldiers they’re done nothing but a pile of useless guts on the ground. The deer is bound to a pole resting on the shoulders of the two strongest man. “Please,” I beg. “I don’t want any trouble.”

They all look down at me one of them man with coal black skin raises a dark eyebrow “You look like you have plenty of trouble.”

“Take us to your camp, son.”

Leading the way to the camp I feel dread pool in my stomach making me forget about my hunger. Since I was walking to my own death, I made it eleven years just to be shot, this sucks. Ryan and another man Michaels are on the end of our little party guarding Ericson and Jefferson, the dark skinned man. They are carrying the deer I don’t know why they’re all coming.

We make it back to camp I don’t smell smoke the fire must have gone out Major Burns speak “Boys make a fire and get this meat cooking, Michaels get those tents up. I shouldn’t be long in here.”

“Yes sir.” They all get to work back when we were both healthier we dragged some large branches to the trailer in cause we snowed in. Using that wood they start to make their own fire.

Entering the trailer I hear Ramse still wheezing I rush over to him “Ramse?”

“I let the fire go out.” He curls in on himself “Sorry.”

Blowing on the ashes they don’t even burn no embers “Its fine.”

“Go outside with others,” Major Burns says.

Now I really beg “Please don’t kill him. Please, I…He’s not that sick it’s not the virus.”

“I said go outside.”

I can’t kill him his soldiers would shoot me then Ramse “Please he’s my bother.”

Leaving the trailer I sit on the steps waiting for shot to ring out as the men work around me. Some of the deer is already cooking over a large fire, the smell making my mouth water while others are building tents. A warm place to sleep tonight, I wrap my arms around myself trying to keep the cold out.

“Cole?” I look up its Jefferson. “You can sit by the fire if you want it’s much warmer.” Standing I feel my head just spin and I fall into the large coal colored arms “Whoa.”

“I’m fine,” I make it the fire on my own drinking in the warmth of it still I wait for the sound of a gun firing.

The rest of the man build tents while I stare at the meat cooking large chunks of it browned. They could be eaten now my stomach starts making loud noises. I tell it to shut-up, they want me alive I figured that much out so I’ll get some of this meat. Even scraps at this point would be wonderful. Still holding my arms around my stomach Ericson sits next to me.

“How long?”

I know not to lie to him “I don’t know any more it didn’t hurt till now.”

He takes piece of it off the fire letting it cool “You gave the last of your food to your brother didn’t you?”

Nodding I look at the cold steel box “He’s sick and...”

He nods pointing to the man around us “These are my brothers. I would do the same for them. Here.”

He holds the food out to me “I…I can’t I don’t have anything to give.”

“We’re not asking are we?”

My hunger wins I take the stick from him biting into the juicy meat my hunger takes over I eat it even though it burns my mouth. I don’t even taste it I just chew and shallow. The door opens I turn my whole body still holding my food “Ramse?”

The Major is carrying him toward us “Make some room.”

Laying him in front of the fire I look up at the older man than at the food in my hand “Why are you doing this?”

“Because two kids are freezing and starving to death you might find this hard to believe but we try to be good man."


	7. New Travel Companions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey they’re good people,” I say my hand keeping on his shoulders.  
> “Why?”  
> That is a good question. Why? Most adults in my opinion didn’t help kids unless it was their kid then they would do anything. But, these men were not related to us or even each other. Yet here they are working together, feeding us keeping us warm when they should be taking our shit and leaving us for dead.  
> Pulling the blanket of over my shoulders I lay it over my brother. I liked that having a brother I always want a brother.  
> Major Burns watches this “You’ll sick too if you don’t stay warm.”  
> “I’ve been this cold before,” I say looking into the fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading

“Do you want more?”

“No, thank you.” I say shaking my head, while my mind is telling me that I should eat more the little bit of food that I did eat is feeling very heavy on my stomach. Ramse, managed to sip on some kind of stew they made. He was still awake kind of, he seemed to know what’s happening that people, not just me, are here, that they have food, that aren’t hurting us.

He’s laying by the fire next to me “Cole?”

“I’m here.” I say taking his hand letting him know that I was here and that I’m not just some crazy hallucination.

“Who else is here?”

Leaning in close I whisper “Soldiers, they’re helping us.”

“No,” He tries to move.

“Hey they’re good people,” I say my hand keeping on his shoulders.

“Why?” 

That is a good question. Why? Most adults in my opinion didn’t help kids unless it was their kid then they would do anything. But, these men were not related to us or even each other. Yet here they are working together, feeding us keeping us warm when they should be taking our shit and leaving us for dead.

Pulling the blanket of over my shoulders I lay it over my brother. I liked that having a brother I always want a brother.

Major Burns watches this “You’ll sick too if you don’t stay warm.”

“I’ve been this cold before,” I say looking into the fire.

The first winter after all this happen my father and I stayed in our house. After October the water was cut off, then a week later no power. We had a fire place that we never used till then but we had no firewood I remember my Dad ripping up the chairs. Then the kitchen cabinets, then the table and finally when it was so cold that I that I couldn’t even move he ripped the floorboards up. That’s what I remember about my home my father feeding pieces of rectangular wood into the fire.

They’re all sitting around the fire watching me Jefferson the one that looks the scariest turns out to be the nicest one. He pulls off his coat holding out to me “Here.”

“I’m fine really fire’s warm enough.”

“Why?”

It’s my turn to look confused “Why what?”

He nods to Ramse “He asked you why?”

Pulling my knees closer “Why are you helping us. We met someone before and he wanted something from me.”

They each look horrified “Did he?”

“No, Ramse saved my life that’s why I won’t leave him to die.”

“Cause he didn’t leave you?” Major Burns asks from across fire.

 “You two are tough kids,” Ericson comments.

I shrug I never thought of myself as tough “No tougher than anyone else.”

They all laugh at that Jefferson who is sitting to my left puts his hand on my shoulder “How old are you?”

“I guess I’ll eleven now it’s the end of February right?”

“Yeah.” Major Burns says.

“I’ll eleven then.”

Jefferson goes on “When I was your age I was playing video games not this.”

“This is world now.”

Ramse lets out a short breath that could be called a laugh “Very philosophical.”

Turning to my right where he’s laying “Shut-up, you need to rest.” His eyes close and his breathing after few minutes evens out.

“You could use some sleep too,” Burns says. “When was the last time got a good night’s sleep?”

“Four years ago.”

They all laugh again Michael’s takes a flask drinks from it and then passes it around “You are a very funny kid. Even if you don’t say much.”

“Ramse is the talking one.”

Ericson nods taking a sip of the strong smelling drink he passes it to me “Right Ramse and Cole do you have first names.”

“We do,” I wave off the drink. “I’m James and his first name is Jose.”

***********************************************************************

It was stupid of me to fall asleep especially with people I don’t know but I did because I had a full stomach and for the first time in a week I didn’t have add sticks to the fire. So, I fell asleep. Opening my eyes I think I’ll see blue sky’s not the green tarp of a tent that I know I didn’t fall asleep in. Also I know that I that I’m on a cot wrapped in my sleeping bag. Turning over I see Ramse still looking rough but better then I’d seen him in days.

“Ramse?”

He breaths out coughing but that’s better too “I’m awake.” Pausing he looks around at the tent and the ground that we aren’t sleeping on. “They did this?”

I nod “What do you think they want?”

His face is showing the same confusion I feel “Do you think they are just good people?”

“Do you?”

He sits up know he’d been wrong before “I trust you on this one.”

Going over the events of yesterday I thought we weren’t going make it through the night. I found a deer, they shot it, then they found me didn’t kill me or Ramse, they gave us food and shelter. They didn’t try anything when we were asleep I felt fine…I felt great better than I had weeks.

The tent flap opens and in comes Major Burns with clean-ish clothes “You’re up good finally.”

“How long have we been sleeping?”

“A day, it’s Tuesday in case you’re wondering.” He hold the pile out to me “These are going to be big but they’re clean. When you’re both dressed come out we want to talk to you both.”

“Thank you sir,” Ramse says standing his voice still horse.

He hands them to me “Are we doing this?”

“Even if we didn’t want to these guy are real soldiers we couldn’t leave even if we wanted too.”

His smile is wide “So, we’re staying?”

I throw a pair of underwear at him “Get dressed.”

Ramse exist first the guys laugh dryly “You look like shit.”

“It’s to meet all of you too.”

“Be nice,” I warn him and one look at me in my barrowed clothes. They are swallowing me whole even the socks fall in lumps against my boot.

“Hey Ryan is there a person under all that fabric?” Michaels ask, he got his gun and a large bag of laundry with him.

Ryan walks over with two cups of warm water “Maybe.”

I hold out my hand even with the sleeve rolled up the shirt covers my arm stopping at my knuckles.

“Drink it while its hot boys.”

“Thanks,” Ramse say we walk over to the Major.

He holds out two sliver bags, MRE’s the army handed them out in the beginning, the steam they give off is very pleasant to smell “Breakfast?”

Ramse looks at me I nod taking one of the MRE’s I thought these things had all been eaten. Digging into it with more relish then I should but it’s really good and I know that eating too fast might make me sick. So, I do go slowly meaning that Ramse finishes before me.

The Major watches this picking at his nails with a knife “I have an offer for you both.”

“We’re listening,” I say.

“After you were both asleep last night we took a vote and we’re offering you a chance to travel with us.” We turn to face each other Ramse likes this idea very much, I don’t think it’s a bad offer either but there is twig of doubt in my stomach. This is my call, I might be younger than him but we’re people are concerned I get them I know how they think. Ramse is the talker he can make people like him a skill I don’t think I have.

I know when to ask the right question “What do want from us?”

“I’ll only ask for you both to give me your loyalty and your best 100% effort.”

Ramse rise his eyebrow I nod “We’re in.”

“Good,” He holds out his hand. “If you’re making a deal you shake hands.”

We both shake his hand, I wonder if I just made a deal with the devil.

“Michael’s!”

“Sir?”

He looks at me “Two is your lucky day, Cole is going to help you wash our nasty cloths.”

“What about Ramse?”

“Still to weak do anything physical,” the old man thinks on it. “Ericson!”

He runs over from the deer carcass “Meet your new cutter.”

“Don’t lie to him.” I whisper.

“I want you to show him how to cut meat and smoke meat.”

“Yes sir.”

I help him up he tries to wave me off but he does need the help. Sleeping for a whole day and hot meal doesn’t make him 100% yet but it helps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have reached the end of this chapter if want more please leave a message in the comments box


	8. 2022

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The man looks at me then to the spot where Ramse will come out of “Sorry kid.” He takes his hand off my mouth and stomach. Grabbing the bag of meat he runs with it in the opposite direction  
> “Cole?!” I hear him running now.  
> Reaching deep inside of myself “Raaammmseee!”  
> “Cole,” he sounds far away now, was he going in the wrong direction.  
> Keeping my hand on my stomach I feel everything my beating heart, the wind and even whole earth moving. This is how I thought I would die, this is how everyone dies now if you don’t get sick you die bleeding. No one ever told me how hot blood is I feel it warming my hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, remember in episode two or three when Cole is in the nut house they say he's been shot multiple times. This is the first time he gets shot, he's 12 and Ramse is 15. Good luck and if you cry I'm sorry but a have you ever not cried when someone has a Near Death Experience?

It’s been year since Ramse and I were taken in by the Major and his soldiers, Ramse is fifteen and I’m twelve. Right now we’re hunting we found a barn to hold-up for the winter now we just need meat. By now I was three squirrels and rabbit this should be fine to stew if Ramse finds any edible plants. I hear him about ten yards behind me. He shouldn’t be this close to me turning I shout “Hey you shouldn’t be this close.”

There is sharp sound like the crack of stick breaking in half but the feeling is more like a sharp pinch. Reaching down I feel the warmth of my blood against the coolness of September air. Falling slowly I forget how to breath, as the sound of feet hitting the hard earth thunder in my ears.

The boots are dirty, full of holes and rest of the body matches he’s looking down at me his weapon at his side the silencer gleaming in the sun his eye narrow on my face “You’re a kid.”

My lungs starting to work now react for me and I scream loud enough to cause the birds to flee. He drops the gun putting one hand over my face and the other on my stomach. I scream into his hand the taste of dirt drips into my mouth.

“Cole?” Ramse sounds worried.

The man looks at me then to the spot where Ramse will come out of “Sorry kid.” He takes his hand off my mouth and stomach. Grabbing the bag of meat he runs with it in the opposite direction.

“Cole?!” I hear him running now.

Reaching deep inside of myself “Raaammmseee!”

“Cole,” he sounds far away now, was he going in the wrong direction.

Keeping my hand on my stomach I feel everything my beating heart, the wind and even whole earth moving. This is how I thought I would die, this is how everyone dies now if you don’t get sick you die bleeding. No one ever told me how hot blood is I feel it warming my hands.

“Cole damn it what happen?”

“Hun…Hun…Hunter.”

“Shit,” He reaches under me pulling me up to my feet.

Laying there isn’t hurting me getting up that cause me to cry fat tears “Put me down.” I beg as my stomach bleeds more.

He starts moving “No, way little brother.”

“Please,” I beg as each step is more painful than the last.

“Okay,” He stops, so I can breathe again. We’re about half a mile from the barn “I’ll get the others.”

Gently as possible he lays me on the ground it still hurts I try not to cry out but the tears fall down my face. This is the worst pain I have felt up to this point and I can think about is how much I want my Mother. She would always make me feel better when I was sick and now I’m dying. Thinking about all that I’ve done I wonder if I’ll go to heaven maybe…I haven’t been that bad.

“Cole!” I recognize Major’s voice and feel his strong hand going under my neck and knee’s.

“I want my Mother,” I sob like a child into my chest.

“I know,” He says his voice is soft far away but I know that we’re moving it’s painful but not as bad. “We’ll get you some help.”

I hear Ramse his voice is faint I almost don’t hear it “Is he going to be alright?”

***********************************************************************

_Salt I smell salt in the air, opening my eyes I see the white sand under the clear waters. I’m on a beach the sky above is a blue and the clouds are a fluffy white there are giant palm trees in over my head. The sand is warm on my bare feet it’s hot but there is cool breeze blowing off the ocean. I look down and I’m in just my pants there too big for me being held up with belt but my shirt and shoes are gone. Looking down I see my chest and stomach the skin is pink and unmarked._

_“Hello?” Walking down the beach I feel the walk wash over my feet its warm water just like I thought it would be. Turning around the bend I hear laughter, hiding behind a tree I peak over._

_“James!” Her voice is soft but full unlike the last time I hear it so lifeless and dull._

_Peaking around the tree “Mom?”_

_She looks good “Who else would be here?”_

_“Where am I?”_

_Walking toward me her dress blows around her in the light breeze “The Keys were you always wanted to be.”_

_Her hand touches my face I reach out to touch her long red clay hair its soft “You’re real.”_

_Again she laughs of course I am, she hugs me tightly “We’ve been waiting for you for a long time now.” She takes my hand walking me down the beach humming a song looking down at me._

_“Is Dad here?”_

_“Everyone is here they all have their own place.”_

_I know what that means “Mom am I dead?”_

_She stops in front of a house it look like just like the picture that I saw, its half in the water and a pier goes out into the water. At the end of the pier is a man fishing he waves to us. It’s my father I know it. Leading me up the stairs she stops at the door “You aren’t dead yet, son.”_

_“Is this heaven?”_

_“Your heaven yes,” Her hand is on the knob. “I can open this door and you can come with me.”_

_“I can?”_

_She smiles her eyes which, are my eyes shine “Clever boy. You can come with me now or you can stay in the world with your friends.”_

_I want to live for Ramse and the Major but this place is great everything I ever thought it would be. Looking out on the horizon I see the dark clouds are coming they will take me back were life is hard where I get shot at. I look at my mother “I want to but I can’t I have to go back.”_

_She leans down to kiss my check taking both my hands “I thought you would say that because you are good boy and you will become a good man. Even if you lose bits of yourself in the end you will be a good man.”_

_The thunder rolls I feel myself being pulled back “Will I see you again?”_

_“Of course when you’re ready when you’ve done what you’re meant to do we’ll be here for you._

_“I love you,” I say as the winds pull me away from her._

_“I love you too, sweetie.”_

***********************************************************************

My whole body hurts even blinking hurts “Ramse?”

“I’m here brother,” I feel his hand on mine. “You’re hurt.”

Even laughing hurts “No, shit.”

“You thirsty?” He asks already opening my canteen.

Nodding drinking down the cool water “You lost a lot of blood.”

Breathing I feel like my stomach and chest have been run over with a tank. We’re in our tent we set them up in the barn because while the building is standing and there is a roof neither of them do much but keep the wind and rain out. So, we set-up our tents inside its good warm.

“How long?”

“Three days,” He moves my shirt up I see the rags of what use to be a sheet. There was a farmhouse but part of it was burnt we did some useful stuff. “I’ve been changing your bandages twice a day.”

“And not getting any sleep.” Major Burns says entering the tent with two cups of soup. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit.”

He hands me the cup “You look like shit.” Then he puts a cup in Ramses hand “But you look worse.”

That makes me smile even when it hurts “He’s right.”

Sipping my soup I ask “The guy who shot me did you find him?”

“No, he left very fast and we were more worried about you.”

“Major?”

“Yes, son?”

I have tell Ramse “Could I talk to Ramse alone for a minute?”

He nods touching my shoulder “Sure thing son.” Son, I didn’t like it when anyone else called me son he was the only one allowed to call me that.

Ramse sits close to me “What is it?”

Leaning in close I whisper “I saw my Mom.”

His eyebrows narrow in “What?”

“I died kind of and I saw my Mom. She said I could stay there with her and my Dad was there too.

“Where?”

“They were in the Keys and they had a house and Ramse I wish you could have seen it. Mom said it was heaven and that if I die again that where I get to go.”

He doesn’t believe me I didn’t think he would “That’s very nice.”

“But she said that even if lose bits of myself in the end I will be a good man.”

“What that mine.”

I shrug “I don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You made to the end you know you want to comment right...Tell me if this was good, bad, if you cried.


	9. High Tolerance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You scared?”  
> “No, I know it’s going to hurt a lot but if you don’t I’ll die. I just don’t want it to hurt.” Wiping my eyes “It’s going to hurt isn’t it?”  
> “You and Ramse are the toughest kids I have ever met.”   
> Ramse rushes back in with Jefferson trailing behind him “Cole?”  
> “I’m still here.”  
> Michaels looks at me than at my stomach “Damn.”  
> “Hold him down.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy and sorry for the slow update I hope you like it

Michaels comes in after we finish eating “I have to change the bandage now.” He sits his bag on the floor. I know what he has to do Michaels is our medic no that he has any medicine mostly its alcohol and homemade bandages. But my chest hurts just to breath. If someone touches me I will yell, scream like baby and cry like one too.

“How does it feel?”

“Okay,” I say lying it hurts like hell and it smells.

“Really?” He sets out some fresh cloth and a bottle of moonshine. We traded with other Scavs.

“Really,” I manage a half smile.

Pulling up my shirt I grit my teeth trying not showing how much pain I’m in he touches a spot lightly too but to me it feels like I was just punched “Jesus stop?”

“It’s infected.”

I don’t know that means but judging by the tone it can’t be good “Am I going to die?”

He shakes his head “No, the skin around your wound is dying.”

Looking up at Ramse I see him trying to not vomit weather it’s from the look or the smell. Lifting my head up I see it the skin around the hole looks green and is turning into mold making a circle around bullet wound. That is its own kind of hell the wound itself is small barely two inches wide. Still it’s full of a sickly yellow colored pus the source of the smell. Feeling the thin stew in my stomach racing back to my mouth I put my hand over my mouth. I shallow it back down leaning back I look at the green celling of our tent.

“Ramse you need to get Jefferson in here now.”

“He’s out hunting,” Ramse says quickly.

“I need him now!” I know what he’s going to do push it all out that’s gonna hurt.

My brother shoots out of the tent like a bullet “Why did you do that?”

“Because I need to cut this dead flesh off your body and that’s going to hurt and you’re going to want to move. Jeff is going to hold you down.”

“Major know about this?”

He nods taking out a very sharp knife “I told him last night.”

I do and it should scare me to death that this man is going to take a knife and cut off a piece of my skin. It doesn’t scare me I’m not stupid I know it will hurt probably hurt worse than getting shot. Before I knew that there where pills that took away pain, I wonder how many of them are left?

“You scared?”

“No, I know it’s going to hurt a lot but if you don’t I’ll die. I just don’t want it to hurt.” Wiping my eyes “It’s going to hurt isn’t it?”

“You and Ramse are the toughest kids I have ever met.”

Ramse rushes back in with Jefferson trailing behind him “Cole?”

“I’m still here.”

Michaels looks at me than at my stomach “Damn.”

“Hold him down.”  

Ramse moves out of the way “Don’t leave.”

“Not gonna happen brother.”

Michaels takes a long breath while washing his hands in the moonshine “I’m going to drain it first.”

“Just do it.”

Jefferson puts out piece of cloth “Open your mouth.”

I do and he takes his place above my cot his hand encircling my arms “Good luck.”

“Awww,” I scram into the cloth as the littlest bit of pressure on my stomach. My body reacts for me trying to push myself up. The iron grip of Jefferson keeps on my cot.

He stops after what feels like hours “Let him breathe.”

I feel the sweat pour out of my body taking the rag out of my mouth “Are we done?”

“No.”

“Keep going,” I say putting the cloth back into my mouth. At night we would tell stories around the fires. One that I was always curious about was a story about man who was in so much pain he passed out. If there is a god he’ll let me pass out before they cut the dead skin off.

It turns out that you don’t pass out from the pain, you just numb I heard them cutting and saw the rotten skin being taken away. They kept talking to me telling me I was brave that I could so this. Surprise I didn’t die but I’m still numb I can hear things but my eyes will not open and the last thing I want to do is talk. So, when the tent opens I keep my breathing as even as possible. There are two of them, Michaels light hands on my stomach.

I whimper at his touch but Major Burns pays me a compliment “Tough kid.”

Michael’s nods I think, he doesn’t answer, but he does wipe a cold cloth on my face my whole body is on fire “This isn’t going to work he needs real medicine. We cut off his skin.”

“What other choice did we have,” He asks in a whisper.

“We could have let him die.” The medic says in an angry whisper.

The Major just huffs “He wanted to live his heart stopped you didn’t bring him back he came back willingly.”

“You know where we need to go.”

Major answers “Its quarantine zone non-immunes with guns why would they help us?”

“Because he’s a twelve year old kid.”

**********************************************************************

Two days later I was well enough to travel normally I would be carrying my pack but today however I wasn’t. Michaels was carrying all my stuff which, isn’t much few cloths that didn’t really fit are the best that I have. _Just keep moving one foot in front of the other_ , I tell myself. More like I order myself to move, even with the cold we’re moving again. And since I’m the reason I keep moving because if I stop I will not get up and if I see my Mother again I will go with her this time.

“Cole!” I feel a hand on the collar of my shirt.

I look up we’re on the edge of a bridge there is a hole about ten feet wide about six inches in front of me “Sorry.”

They all look at me funny Major breaks up the silence “I’ll fined us another route. Ramse check his bandage.”

“I’m fine,” I say knowing that it won’t help.

We all back up another ten feet while he studies the maps we’re looking for the Western 7 quarantine zone its safe with food, shelter, people and medicine. That’s what I need to stop the infection form coming back, antibiotic’s they’re called. The people in the quarantine zone aren’t immune like us and we could get there and be told to go away. Lifting up my shirt I see that the skin around the bandage is red.

 “Don’t take it off,” If he pulls the bandage off me I will scream.

Breathing in quick short breath Ramse looks at me his eyes full of regret “I’ll do it quick.”

“Don’t.”

He rips it off and I do yelp in pain causing the others to rush over each look at my skin “Oh kid.”

Breathing in deeply “Don’t call me kid.”

They laugh trying to mask their own disgust and horror Major isn’t masking anything “Start a fire.”

Both Ramse and I look at him my eyes are wide I know what’s he’s going to do. The dead flesh that was cut off two day ago wasn’t getting better it was worse. They needed to cauterize the open skin.

“Please don’t.” I beg I can’t take much more pain.

Ramse was in front of me yelling at them. “He can make it we’re just a few days out!”

“Ramse stop,” I say.

Jefferson spins Ramse around forcing his head down “Look at him! He can’t make it another hour. We need to close the wound now.”

I look my brother in the eyes nodding we both know I won’t make it to the quarantine zone like this “Ramse let them do this.”

He looks like he wants to punch someone “Damn it.”

We go back to a clearing about thirty yards off the road Ericson opens a bottle holding out to me “No thanks.”

“Trust me you want to be wasted before this happens,” He holds it out. Ramse has his arms crossed and I swear I can hear him thinking.

“I’ve never done this before.”

“Try not to spit it out.” Ericson isn’t the most friendly person in fact he’s the coldest person I know, doesn’t give a damn either way. As long as he has his gun and bullets he would be fine but I never had a reason to underestimate his loyalty.

Now I have eaten rotten food and bugs, drink the dirtiest water I never even for a moment thought of spiting it out. When every crumb is needed you develop a cast iron stomach. I keep my hand over my mouth so I don’t let the liquid fire doesn’t spill out.

“How do you do that?” I ask breath in the cold air hoping it will cool the fire in my mouth.

“Practice keep drinking,” He says as the smell of smoke enters my nose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment.   
> I LOVE COMMENTS!!!   
> They make me feel so nice.


	10. Hair Cuts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Okay,” Major says calmly. “When a man and a woman-”  
> “Or two men or two woman,” Ryan says still chopping my hair away.  
> Major nods “Right when two people are loving each other very much-”  
> Jefferson cuts in “Or are very lonely.”  
> “I’m trying to tell the boy the facts of life.”  
> Ramse is shaking from laughter “This is great keep going, I wish I had popcorn.”  
> “What's that?”  
> “Food,” Ericson says. Ever since I didn’t die he’s been clear to us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the fluff

“I like my hair long.” I say as Ryan snips my hair away.

Ramse the joker laughs “You look like a girl.”

“When was the last time any of you saw a real girl?” I challenge the group. Today is haircut day. Ryan is the barber, Ramse is easy, just a clean shave. He and Jefferson like it when their heads have the texture of sandpaper. Major like his head to be short military style. The rest of them have short hair that gets trimmed every few months.

Michaels raises his hand, “I dream of a girl does that count?”

“No.” We all tell him.

“Raise your hand if you dream of girls?” Ramse says his hand ravels high into the air.

I put my hand up along with everyone, but Ryan “You don’t like girls?”

“No, I like guys,” He keeps clipping my hair. “Not any of these guys they’re all too ugly to sleep with.”

They all laugh “Were you married?”

“No, before this lovely hell I was enjoying the semi-carefree life of a bachelor.”

I look at Ramse “What’s that mean?”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

“Come on, I get shot and a hold bunch of other shit.” I have a scar from that it’s a bullet hole. Surrounding that is a ring wrinkled skin from where the dead flesh had to be burnt shut. I might not make it to older.”

“Okay,” Major says calmly. “When a man and a woman-”

“Or two men or two woman,” Ryan says still chopping my hair away.

Major nods “Right when two people are loving each other very much-”

Jefferson cuts in “Or are very lonely.”

“I’m trying to tell the boy the facts of life.”

Ramse is shaking from laughter “This is great keep going, I wish I had popcorn.”

“What's that?”

“Food,” Ericson says. Ever since I didn’t die he’s been clear to us.

“What's food?”

He laughs “You know it’s been awhile, you use to put in your mouth.”

It’s been a month we’re in warehouse our tents set-up in the drafty building and we’re bedding down here for the winter. With a town not far away we thought we would have plenty of food but it doesn’t. There’s a river about a mile from here were getting water and fish. My strength is coming back slowly since I was shot, had my skin cut off and then had that same area brunt.

“Back to woman-”

Ryan asks “You do like a woman right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, when you do find a woman you might want to do things with her.”

“Or she’ll want to do things to you.” Jefferson says with a strange little smile on his face. “Lots of things.”

“What kind of things?” I ask.

After they finish telling me about sex and women I have a few some ideas about how relationships were before. In a male-female relationship, it’s the woman who holds the power. With a male-male relationship, it was different and people didn’t seem to like the idea of two men or woman being together. They tried to explain it to me, but I just don’t get it. Why would it matter if a guy wanted to be with another guy? It should only be wrong if one of them doesn’t want to be there.

Looking down at the gray colored water I turn my head “My hair was still long reaching below my ears but it feels too light. The rest of them guys left to go hunting, Jefferson is watching us. Ramse is doing all the heavy lifting, bending down and standing up to put clothes on the line to drip dry.

 “Why is it I’m always the one washing your filthy socks?” Ever since I was given the lightest of camp chores that means washing Ramse his socks.

“Pure talent brother,” Ramse says, taking the socks to hang them up to dry.

I hate washing these curtsy socks, even if some of them are mine, there isn’t much they let me do and I did have that magazine from Ramse. The woman looks so grown and clean looking. Even when do see other females they don’t look like this. Still, I wonder what’s under those clothes. To be honest, I think about it a lot girls and woman.

“What are you smiling about,” Jefferson asks entered our camp with buckets of water needing to be boiled before drinking.

“Girls.” I say. His laugher bounces around the room along with Ramses and I join in because it’s funny I almost died twice. When the rest of the team comes in watching us.

“What the hell is this?”

We all look at the confused and say “Girls.”

“We caught dinner,” Major says, holding up a string of fish.

***********************************************************************

After dinner Ramse and I are in our tent talking like normal “So, where will go after winter?”

“Quarantine zone.”

I know that’s the plan “What if we get turned away?”

 “We’ll find somewhere else,” He says. “There's got to people somewhere.”

I wish I was that optimistic “What happens if we get separated?”

“That’s not gonna happen, brother.”

Turning to face him “What’s our future gonna be?”

He sighs “Let’s worry about that tomorrow, okay?”

I can tell he’s getting annoyed with me, but I’ve had these questions for a month now. I missed back when things were simple. When it was just us, not that we had it this good but it was simple. I didn’t think about how I could dying or girls or, how I didn’t like my short hair.

“Can I ask one more question?”

“Just one?”

“Yeah.”

“Ask.”

“Why didn’t Ryan tell us he liked guys?”

He groans that means my question has a complicated answer “Before it was a big deal.”

“Right,” I try to remember if I knew about that before all this. We lived in identical house and people drove the same cars. The only thing that was different about us where our colors. All of us looked different, but were the same. Mom, Dad, a sibling or two and few like me waiting for a brother.

“People who were different they didn’t… They were easy to mess with.”

“I don’t get it.”

“You will-”

“When I’m older,” I know the phrase they say it all the time. Mostly I’m worried that I won’t make it to the older.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you made it to the end. You know you should write me a comment.


	11. Just Us Again (2023)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I miss, Michaels and the Major.”  
> They all nod at the mention of our dead friends Michaels died first, he had gotten sick not the virus, but pneumonia and his coughing still echoes in my dreams. That was in November. We buried him by the river, it’s the first time I remember burying a person. My Mother died in a hospital, I don’t know what happen to her body. My father, I had to leave him where he fell. It felt good to bury him I know where he is what happen to him. Looking up at the stars I wonder what his heaven looks like.

“A warm bed.”

I scoff “At this point any bed would do.”

The quarantine zone is closest we’ve seen signs all day now we’re so close now, but the sun is going down and while the day are getting warmer the night is still cold and very dangerous. So, as the fire burn Ramse and I play a game of what we hope is there.

“Food that we don’t kill ourselves.” I say, my stomach would say any food at this point winter was hard and mostly we just didn’t eat. I know that without a shirt I look bad the little bit of fat that I did have is gone. . My clothes are hanging on my shoulders and pants are hugging my hips even with a belt. It’s not just me either Ramse looks the same we all do, the ones at are left at least.

“That would be nice,” Ryan says dimly.

“I miss, Michaels and the Major.”

They all nod at the mention of our dead friends Michaels died first, he had gotten sick not the virus, but pneumonia and his coughing still echoes in my dreams. That was in November. We buried him by the river, it’s the first time I remember burying a person. My Mother died in a hospital, I don’t know what happen to her body. My father, I had to leave him where he fell. It felt good to bury him I know where he is what happen to him. Looking up at the stars I wonder what his heaven looks like.

It was February when Major died, he just went to sleep in his tent one night and didn’t wake-up. That was a month ago, we buried him next to Michaels and then we hit the road we’re going to the quarantine zone. Even if we get turned away, we all have a goal a drive that keeps us going. Back when Ramse and I started to travel together I asked myself why all these people died while I lived. More and more I ask but I never can come up with an answer. I mean what I am going to do that makes me so damn special that I get to live while good people die all around me?

“Cole?”

“What?”

Ramse raise his eyebrow “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I wave off his question. “I’m just-”

The sound of cans falling alerts us I pull out my knife as a woman stagers into the small circle of light. She’s covered in blood her eye bloodshot, her face is covered with sweat. We all watch her walk past us kneeling at the fire.

“Ma’am?” She looks around wilding searching for the voice I heard about some people going blind from the virus. Ryan kneels by the woman “Ma’am, who are you?”

“It’s gone,” She whispers we all see her hands covered like the rest of her clothes are covered in blood. “All of it gone.”

“You’re from the quarantine zone?” I say it a little too loudly and she flinches into Ryan’s arms.

“Who… who else is here?”

“I am here with three other people.” Ryan says, peeling her off of his body he takes her hands. “We aren’t going to hurt you. Right boys?”

“No, Ma’am, my name is Jefferson.” He holds out his canteen “Would like some water?”

Feeling the empty air with her hands until she finds the canteen “Thank you.”

Then Ericson says “Ma’am, what happen at the zone.”

“Other people came we thought they would be friendly, but they just started to shoot at us. They killed everyone the doctors and the children.” I barely got alive… My… My.” She starts to cry again her body shaking.

Ramse stands, pulling off his coat “Here you go.”

She takes his hand “Thank you.”

“How long ago did it happen?”

The cloudy eyes turn to me “You’re a child?”

“No,” I say sitting up straight. “I’m thirteen.”

They all laugh Ramse whose hand is still in hers says “That’s my brother Cole.”

“It was two weeks ago I’ve been walking ever since then, but now I’m… I’m sick now.”

Ryan starts talking again since now he’s our leader, “You won’t get us sick.”

***********************************************************************

The next day we’re standing at the grave of the woman, we never did know her name. We went to sleep last night and she was alive, but sometime during the night she had died Ryan said she needed proper burial. Rams and are digging the grave Jefferson is watching us. Ryan is out looking for Ericson, he left in the night, taking his guns and tent with him.

“Is everyone else gonna leave now?” I whisper to Ramse as we move the earth.

Rams stops digging “We’re staying together.”

“Good,” I know that on my own I can get by but I don’t think that I want to. Ramse and I have been together for three years now.

“You two done?”

We look around saying it together “Yeah.”

Ramse cups his hands together, I push off that lifting myself onto the high ground. Then reaching down I help to lift him up “Thanks man.”

“No problem.”

“Should we wait for Ryan,” the large man asks.

“No,” I look at the rough outline of the body under the blanket. “She needs to be in the ground.”

They both nod Ramse takes the feet and Jefferson has her head, they gently lay in the hole. It's only five feet deep, so the body does drop the thump sound louder than it really is. Jefferson looks around waiting for someone to do something, Ramse takes a handful of dirt “Sorry this happen to you.”

I take a bit of the rich soil in my hands taking it over to the hole “You're lucky, this is more than most people get.”

Jefferson is putting the last shovel full of dirt on the grave when Ryan gets back “Did you find him?”

“No,” Ryan sits by the fire, it’s just the four of us now. “What now?”

“I’m going to.” Jefferson says joining us “I had family in Georgia I want to go find what’s left of them.”

He nods “Go if you want to. What about you two?”

“We’re staying together,” Ramse says.

“I’m going west.”

***********************************************************************

“So, now it’s just the two of us again.”

I keep the fire low “Where do we go now?”

“East toward the coast, there must be a town somewhere.”

No food tonight we need to find some soon or we’ll be gone “Then what?”

“Figure it out when we get there.”

Lying back, I put my hands behind my head, looking up at the stars “I never knew there were this many stars.”

“Light pollution, the cities had lights so bright that you couldn’t see them.”

“Was it loud in the city?”

He had grown up in the city “It was where I lived, Blair Street on the south side of Philly. There were tires screeching and cop sirens all night, I remember this one time when I was little we went to the cabin where my Mom’s friends invited for the weekend. I couldn’t sleep it was too quiet.”

“I don’t think we had that where I lived.”

“West 7 is a bust,” He says to the fire. “I thought it would be something.”

“Me too.” And, maybe it was but now it’s just another place empty or invaded like everywhere else.

“We should get some sleep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always welcome please write me one!


	12. Donavan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His strange eyes look at me “And do you know how to use a gun or does your boyfriend here do all the shooting and the talking.”  
> “Forget this asshole, let's go.”  
> We start walking again making two steps before “Hey! I’m sorry you’re the first people I’ve seen in weeks.”  
> I turn “Where are you going?”  
> “Fort, Hugh, I can give you a ride in my truck.”  
> “Your call, brother,” Ramse whispers to me.   
> I walk to him slowly circling him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I haven't updated this in while but I will its hard I have three fic in this fandom alone so updates are touch and go. Any way I how you all like this chapter.

“How long have we walked?” Ramse ask as we walk south again to Florida like before.

We have been walking since sunrise, but I know what he means “Too damn long.

Ramse scoffs “And why is it we never meet any woman?”

“Because you’re ugly,” I say.

“Look in the mirror brother.”

I wasn’t sure what I looked like now, I’m thirteen, my hair is shaggy and the same brown-blond it’s always been. But I am taller now my voice is deeper and I finally have hair on my face. “How do I look really?”

“Like a dirty Scavenger.”

“Ramse I’m serious?”

“You look fine.” He looks out at the road. “We need a car.”

I laugh “You know how to drive?”

“No,” He admits then breaking into a huge smile as the rare sound of wheels speeding down the broken enters my ears.

The truck is armored with the loudest scare every animal in a five mile radius kind of music. It slows down to stop as we in front of us the music cuts out and Ramse points his guy at the driver.

“Hey kids,” the voice is arrogant.

“We aren’t kids,” Ramse says. I have my hand on my knife ready to back-up his claim.

He steps out of the truck “Nice gun.”

Ramse clicks the safety off “It is and I know how to use it too.”

His strange eyes look at me “And do you know how to use a gun or does your boyfriend here do all the shooting and the talking.”

“Forget this asshole, let's go.”

We start walking again making two steps before “Hey! I’m sorry you’re the first people I’ve seen in weeks.”

I turn “Where are you going?”

“Fort, Hugh, I can give you a ride in my truck.”

“Your call, brother,” Ramse whispers to me.

I walk to him slowly circling him. He has a knife and a hand gun, but it’s too far for him to get grab in an emergency. His clothes are clean but full of holes and they hang off of him, he’s not a good hunter. Even the way he stands its all wrong, I don’t know how I made it this far on his own.

“I’m Cole this is my brother Ramse.”

He holds a hand “Donavan.”

“Don’t do that,” I say walking to the truck.

“Why?” He asks as Ramse steps forward it looks like he’s going to shake his hand.

My brother is getting a good hole on the hand. Then he twists the arm around his back, causing the adult to curse. Ramse pulls his knife holding it to his throat “Because someone will do this and you’ll be dead.”

He stumbles holding onto his neck, “You two are dangerous.”

We smile and I tell him, “We are but we’ll keep you alive.”

Getting into the truck he starts it again and the music comes back on Ramse is in the front “Turn that down.”

“Why?” He asks, turning the volume low enough so we can hear it but no one else will.

“Because," I say from the back seat "If you want food tonight you don’t want every animal to know you’re here.”

He holds the wheel tightly “How old are you two.”

“Fifteen.”

“Shit when I was your age I was jerking off to Pam Anderson.”

We both look at each other than to him asking “Who?”

“She was a good looking woman very pretty have you two killed people?”

Ramse gets quite “I have.”

His body goes rigid “Oh.”

“How did you get his truck?”

“Soldiers I was traveling with they told me about Fort, Hugh but they didn’t make it through the winter we’ve been traveling from Buffalo.”

***********************************************************************

That night Ramse and I are sitting in our tent well, I’m staying the night Ramse is on guard. Donavan said that he couldn’t because he needed to drive the next day that meant he was sleeping in the cab of his truck, his hand curled around a shotgun “The guy is an asshole.”

“I know that,” I say sharpening my knife. “But we covered more ground in two hours than we would have had all day.”

Ramse nods “He’s going to get us killed.”

“No,” I look up at my brother. “He’s going to get us to Fort, Hugh where they’ll see he’s useless. We on the other hand can shoot and hunt and patch the holes in our socks.”

“That's right brother, I’ll take first watch?”

“See ya in four hours.”

 Major taught us to survive. You pick up a useful tool take it with you take care of it. Donavon could get us there if we found fuel and food. But, that didn’t mean he would get in he probably won’t. The man if want to call him that doesn’t know how to hunt or even be quiet the whole ride he never shut up. I turn over in my sleeping bag willing the sleep to come.

I doesn’t, all I can do is repeat “Florida, the quarantine zone, Fort, Hugh.” All places that are supposed to be safe. Maybe nowhere is safe anymore and we are just filling time till we die going from one false hope to another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look your at the end I'm sorry but you know what would make you feel better a comment. Write me a little note did you like it? Do you have a question ask nicely and I will answer.


	13. On the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No,” I say thinking that if we don’t find gas we could at the very least go hunting. “But, he could help.”  
> Ramse pushes the gas jug into my hands, making me drop the pump. “I know we don’t have schoolin’ but that is a stupid question and you know it.”  
> Holding the heavy plastic jug I put the pump under my arms along with the crowbar. It’s a true statement after all that we’ll be dead soon, just not today. “You think we’ll ever be as old as him?”   
> “Don’t know, probably not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I've in hibernation for a while but with this show showing up on my dash I just got inspired.

“What do you think?” I ask, handing Ramse the binoculars.

He looks at the gas station “No broken windows. We should take a look.”

Donavan is in the cab of his truck asleep, snoring very loud, but the sound is muffled. We’ve been with him for a week now, we still have another two weeks to go, but we need or its back to walking. If I have to listen to him for a minute longer I might just kill him myself. “Should we wake him?”

Ramse just looks at me as we walk to the truck like I just asked the stupidest question “What do you hear, brother?”

I listen “I hear some birds, squirrels, and the wind.”

“That's the sound of peace you really want to wake him and ruin that.”

“No,” I say thinking that if we don’t find gas we could at the very least go hunting. “But, he could help.”

Ramse pushes the gas jug into my hands, making me drop the pump. “I know we don’t have schoolin’ but that is a stupid question and you know it.”

Holding the heavy plastic jug I put the pump under my arms along with the crowbar. It’s a true statement after all that we’ll be dead soon, just not today. “You think we’ll ever be as old as him?”

“Don’t know, probably not.”

“Most people would lie.” I point out as we cross the road walking the thirty yards to the gas station.

He nods, taking point with his shotgun he was blocking the sun, Ramse is still taller than me I think he’ll always be taller. “My Ma she never told me a lie. Said there wasn’t a point that the world wound lie to me so she wouldn’t.”

“Do you think I’ll ever be as old as you?”

“I’m sixteen you’ll be that old one day, I promise.”

At this point in my life I’ve been shot at and shot, starved more times than I should, and nearly frozen to death twice. “Will this place will be a bust too?”

  “No, we can’t think like that brother, it will mess you up in the head.”

We’re already messed up, I’ve more people die in the last six years than I should. We find one in the store too, its mostly just bones piled on the floor. It wasn’t something that bothered me. It use to bother me, I would feel pity or sorrow, but now I feel nothing this person was just taking the other way out.

“No, food.”

I nod to the bones, “He ate it all then offed himself.”

“He must have been fat.”

“Were you ever fat?”

“No, come with the pumps all have a manual switch let’s fill up.”

Ramse takes the crowbar pulling the heavy metal lid off of the tank. I lower the pump tube down. The pump was meant to put air in tires not pull gas out so filling takes time, but is the one thing we have.

“Hey brother, you got this I want to go hunting?”

“Sure thing, I’ll be here awhile we meet at the truck at noon.”

He hands me his knife since my gun has no bullets right now, “Be safe.”

“Always.” I say, pulling up more gasoline, the thought crosses my mind that soon all the gas will be gone. Canned food is impossible to find now it’s all extinct, I think that’s what it means when something is all gone. Food was first, no gas, I don’t think bullets will ever extinct. People will make them, I guess the same can be said for food a settled group will be growing food but Ramse and me move too much. Maybe this place will be different or maybe I’m just lying to myself.

 By the time noon comes around I have the jug half full and my arms are killing me. Thankfully Ramse is back no doubt checking on me. “You’ve been busy.” He says eyeing the half full container.

“Tired, man my arms feel like they’re about to fall off.”

He holds out the unlucky rabbits that crossed him. “Skin those I’ll take over.”

“See any people?”

“Nope.”

I start to skin the larger of the two animals. “Where are all the people?” The only thing I hear is Ramse and the normal sounds of nature. Trying to remember back I can’t really hear the sound of cars or mass of people.

“Dead, they all died from the virus or other people.”

Another hour of pumping has the jug full, Ramse carries it since I can’t lift my arms at this point. When we make it back to the truck Donavan is awake cursing at the sky. “Goddamn it.”

“Problem?” Ramse ask setting the heavy judge on the ground.

“Where have you two been?”

 I hold up the meat, “Ramse went hunting and I was pumping gas.”

He groans. “And couldn’t have woken me and told me I thought you two robbed me and left me.”

Ramse curses in Spanish. “Si íbamos a robar que nos mataría primero, pequeña Peru.” Qué Peru.” I try to hide my laugh as a cough.

“What did you say?”

Taking out my knife I cut the animals into strips smiling at work. “He said that if we were going to rob you we would kill you first.” I leave out the part about him being called a little bitch, but silently I agree with him.

“I didn’t know you spoke Spanish.”

Looking over at the pathetic attempt of a campfire I say in English. “There’s a lot of things you don’t know.”

After I get a fire going and we all eat for the night saving some for tomorrow Donavan starts driving again. He says driving at night will save gas, it also has the benefit of us not running into other people. I’m not sure when I started to think of other people as a bad thing. Ramse is my brother, he’s been with me for three years now saved my life couple of times now. I trust him, the major and his shoulders, I trusted them because we looked out for each other. Donavan, I don’t trust, he can barely take care of himself, which might be why I can’t sleep.

Ramse is talking to him, they don’t know I’m listening in. “Where were you two before this.”

“We kept moving around mostly, for a while we ran with this group of soldiers, but winter was hard, we lost some people. Then the place we were going it was gone, overrun.”

“Was that where he got shot?”

“It was on the way, yeah, toughest guy I know.” He goes into detail about me being shot, the infection, cutting off the flesh, and burning it.

The audible gulp of the adult trying not to throw-up bounce around the small cap of the truck. “Jesus.”

He laughs, I smile a strange feeling of pride growing in my stomach I guess I am pretty tough. “He took care of me before we ran the soldiers I was sick, he could have left me to die.”

“Most people would have.”

“How did you get to be alone?”

“Um… I was in a refugee camp.”

That’s dangerous, places like that were great till they ran out of food hundreds of people with no food not the best thing. They would all group together destroying everything, then move on. “You have any family?”

“No, they all died. Is Cole your only family?”

“Yeah. And, I’m his.”


End file.
